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Greets, peeps. I'm not formally trained in ASL, though I know a few signs. Once at a customer's site, I saw a deaf programmer struggling with a problem with the VMS operating system. I remembered the sign for HELP, courtesy of Matthew Broderick and the film Project X, and I managed to sign "I help you?" to him. Further conversation was achieved by typing at his terminal!

Sign language interpreters are professionals trained in their profession. Becoming one requires college courses in ASL, deaf culture, and interpreting as well as an internship. No, it's not rude to talk to an interpreter while they are on the job as long as the deaf person they are interpreting for does not need them at the moment. That is if the interpreter is currently interpreting something wait until they are done before approaching them.

Knowing sign language could help on the job in some areas. I remember one of my 1st jobs bagging groceries at a local grocery store and my boss was glad to have a deaf employee that knew sign language because they had regular customers that were deaf. Being able to communicate with them made thing smoother for them and it gave them a reason to come back to the store. So any time you work for a place where deaf people are either customers or clients knowing sign language is a definitely a plus and could definitely improve your employment chances I would say.

I was always interested in learning sign language. I work for a advocacy group for the disabled and I occasionally run into deaf people. I even wanted to ask a sign language translator how they know sign language and if it helps obtain employment. I am just afraid that it will offend a deaf person if I talk directly to the translator. Is it ok that I can talk to a translator about his job while he is on the job? I know it is a silly question. lol

Hello everyone, I'm glad I found this group. I am not hearing-impaired, but have been very interested in learning ASL - I even did a course on it several years ago, but couldn't pursue it further at the time due to major health issues. I would like to take it up again, because that would help me learn more about people who may not experience the world the way I do, and thus expand my own world-view.

I actually sent an email to everyone before introducing myself, and for that I'm asking your pardon in advance. We badly need ASL interpreters at the NFA 2012 conference in Renton, WA, and are looking for volunteers. I hope to see some of you there!

If someone does not want a cochlear implant or doesn't desire their child to have one, I don't think it should be force on them. I can understand where some are coming from on this. If I had a deaf child, I wouldn't get them a cochlear implant, at least not until they decide they want one and only after they know what the process of getting one is, as well as thoroughly informed about it and what happens if they decide they don't want it any more. It is not something that can be removed without further damage.

I can understand, once a person is fully informed, why they might want one, but it's not 100% hearing. Also, last I knew, it does nothing for congenital nerve deafness, which runs in my family. Thus not everyone is a candidate for it.

So I don't know what his problem is concerning the rejection of cochlear implants is. If "one eye people" are narrow minded, even after being fully informed about something and deciding they don't want it, then isn't that forcing something on the person? I'm sure those who attend Gallaudet are surely informed what a cochlear implant can and cannot do.

That's just one part that had me puzzled about his statements and why.

After seeing the comments about the blog mentioned here....I decided to read it....Paotie is deaf... and in his words...

A doctoral student in public policy and administration, Paotie hopes to one day be a political consultant and/or published author. Many of Paotie’s works have been featured in some prominent web publications, ranging from MySpace to IMPNOW.com (for artists).

Long an advocate for civil rights for minorities and deaf/HOH (hard of hearing) people, Paotie ultimately strives to educate the public about some of the issues that effect these groups.

I enjoyed reading the article " Jesus hates deaf people" and I agree pretty much with a lot of his observations about Gallaudet. The writer's use of " one eyed people " is a way of using the word 'myopic" as in being narrow minded and seeing only one way ( THEIR way ).

Oh my! I just read that blog post "Jesus hates deaf people"... What is wrong with that person? Don't they know there are deaf people who are Xians or at least attend a deaf church. Not all deaf people are atheists and so what if someone doesn't want a cochlear implant. The way those implants are put into a person head bothers me, among other things about it and I only have a 40 db loss with a big chance it will only get worse. I don't like the idea of them personally, BUT if a person wants one or a hearing parent insists their baby gets one, then maybe it will contribute to better technology. Who knows, but beyond that, I don't care for implants. The rest of it- Gallaudet a church/religion? ROFLMAO! What the heck is the "one-eyed people cult"? Sounds like something they made up out of spiteful anger for whatever reason against the deaf culture. It really doesn't make sense otherwise.